YORKTOWN — The Chinese Lunar New Year, Year of the Rabbit, was celebrated Jan. 28 by the Peninsula Chinese American Association (PCAA) at Tabb High School Auditorium and cafeteria.
Established in 1978 as a non-profit and non-political organization, PCAA’s purpose is to promote fellowship, provide a communication and networking platform for information sharing, and enhance cultural awareness and diversity in the community through sponsorship of social and cultural events and recreational activities.
The organization also offers Chinese language and cultural education, oversees a Peninsula Chinese School, and provides Scholarships for high school seniors. It shares Chinese culture at Lunar New Year and Moon Festival celebrations.
“We are all volunteers and I have been a volunteer in many places since I retired, but I think this [The PCAA] is the closest to my heart,” said Elizabeth Tai, a longtime member and board member of the PCAA.
The group also participates in the annual Hampton International Children’s Festival in April, sharing Chinese culture, raises funds for Virginia Peninsula Foodbank, and also provided Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to places like local hospitals, doctors’ offices and police departments at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite a change in location, around 200 families celebrated the Chinese holiday at Tabb High School with songs, Chinese folk dances, martial arts performances, riddle guessing, a Golden Dragon Parade, Chinese music instruments and Hong-Bao for children (a tradition of giving money in a red envelope for good fortune).
The Year of the Rabbit, according to the Lunar Calander, is the fourth of the 12-sign Chinese zodiac cycle. It is believed that people who are born this year are witty, quick-minded, and ingenious.
Any person of Chinese origin residing in the Virginia Peninsula and its vicinity is eligible for membership, as well as any person who is interested in Chinese culture and supports the cause of the association.
For more information about the PCAA, check out its official website.
